Tuesday, November 11, 2008

A weekend event organized to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Dallas (as previously reported here) has created a drama worthy of the Ewing family itself after angry fans complained they didn't get the access to cast members they'd ponied up for -- while others got close to the stars without paying for the privilege.

"It was a disaster. It was total chaos," Mickey James, who paid $500 in anticipation of getting to mingle with the cast, told The Associated Press. "We couldn't even get close to the stage."

"I'm angry," the 50-year-old Irving man said. "It was like a slap in the face."

Fans had paid anywhere from $100 to $1,000 for tickets, with those who paid higher prices to gain greater access to Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy and others.

Jason Hardison, the event's executive producer, said instead of the 2,000 people expected, 4,000 showed up to celebrate one of the most popular prime-time soap operas in TV history. Viewed panoramically in the show's introduction, the ranch is in the Dallas suburb of Parker, about 25 miles north of downtown Dallas.

But Joy Garcia said it worked out well for her.

"We were extremely happy that we were in the $100 section because we got the same access that everyone else did," she said.